


Lightyears Between You and Me

by charizardfreak



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blue is sad, Friendship, Gen, Lance (Voltron) Has Self-Esteem Issues, Lion Bonds, Red doesn't put up with bullshit, post-season 8, will add other tags when i add the other lions in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 14:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21459286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charizardfreak/pseuds/charizardfreak
Summary: The Lions return briefly one night to pluck each of their Paladins from their dreams for a heart-to-heart on the Astral Plane.Or,The author's favorite part of Voltron is the Lion-Bonding. She'll stop writing about it when she's dead.(If you know what song the title/chapter titles come from, I love you, just fyi)
Relationships: Keith & Red Lion (Voltron), Lance & Blue Lion (Voltron), Lance & Red Lion (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	1. It's Okay, I Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Post-season 8, cannon compliant 
> 
> This started out because I was daydreaming about Lance horsing around with Blue in a lake and I thought "that's cute, how can I work that into a fic?" and here I am.

Lance awoke on the Astral Plane.

He had no idea how he got there and were it not for the fact the Astral Plane had a very specific _feeling _to it, he would have thought it was a dream.

He glanced around, confused and unsettled in this eerie world of stars and… whatever that purple glow was.

There was another strange light. Something blue, just beneath his eyes.

He gasped, hand flying to his face. His marks—they were glowing! He immediately thought of Allura, but that couldn’t be… she—she was…

His thoughts were cut off as the landscape of the Plane began to change entirely. It looked as if a hologram was spreading out across it, covering the shadows and stardust with vibrant blues and greens. It took a second for Lance to recognize it, but he did.

This was Altea. The original one. 

He was now standing in an emerald-green field that was absolutely _carpeted_ with all sorts of flowers. To his side was a steep slope that dropped directly into a sparkling lake. Lance found himself blinking rapidly at the daylight reflecting off the surface.

He jogged over to the edge and peered into the water. His face, marks still glowing, stared back in astonishment. He bent down and touched the surface—and yes, it was really water. On the Astral Plane. Sort of—was he even on the Astral Plane anymore? It still felt like it, but it also… didn’t… in a weird way. He knew he wasn’t actually on Altea, he could sense that somehow. Or, actually; wasn’t he asleep? Dreaming? It felt too real to be a dream.

He hated all this abstract space-magic mumbo jumbo.

And if he hadn’t been so absorbed in all this, he may have noticed a soft scraping sound coming from behind.

Some instinct told him he wasn’t alone, though. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he whirled around, leaping to his feet.

But he was too slow.

Something slammed into his back and he shrieked as he went toppling into the lake.

He flailed around in the water for a tick before bursting to the surface, wheeling around to face his opponent…

A lioness the size of a horse.

A _blue _lioness.

Lance’s jaw dropped.

It couldn’t be.

This—this was a real lion!

Well, sort of. She had fur and claws and everything, but she was blue and _huge_ and her eyes were gold and expressive and _glowing... _

And he could _feel _her. He could sense that familiar, nostalgic pull of the ocean. Of cool refreshing water on a hot day. Of the joy brought from waking up and seeing the yard covered in snow.

What else, who else, could it be?

Lance startled at a sudden grunting noise the lion made. It was almost a cough, but deeper and she was pulling her lips back over her teeth into a grin…

Lance gasped. Was she _laughing_ at him?

“Blue!” he shouted in mock offense. He slapped the water, splashing as much into her face as he could.

The guffawing got louder as the lion leaped backwards. She crouched, eyes wide, pupils dilating, hindquarters wiggling slightly…

Uh oh.

Lance scrambled away just in time for the massive lion to crash into the water next to him, sending waves rolling over the lake. He laughed and splashed more water in her face. She snorted, pawing at her muzzle as he got her in the nose. A mischievous glint lit up her eyes as she scooped up a huge gulp of water and _sprayed_ him in the face, nearly knocking him over.

“Blue, BLUE! That’s disgusting!” he shrieked as he laughed uncontrollably and tried to wade away a little.

But it was futile.

The lion grabbed him with one giant paw and yanked him to her. He yelped as she balanced on her hind legs, hugging him tight to her chest as she continued rumble with laughter. Lance couldn’t help the almost hysterical giggles coming out of him as she nuzzled her head against his, whiskers tickling his face. Then, she stumbled around and proceeded to dump him on the shore. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was impressed that she could balance them both on her hind legs like that. Lance lay on the grass, chest heaving as the lion dropped back on all fours and shook like a dog, assaulting him with even more water.

He was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe.

After a minute, he sat up and saw the lion sitting beside him, her face somehow looking smug. He grinned and reached out to touch her nose.

But he hesitated.

“Blue?” he asked. He was still having a hard time believing it. “Is that really you?”

The lion shoved her head against his hand, nuzzling and purring against it.

“Yes,” she answered. Her voice made him think of ice crystals. And he had no idea what _that _meant, but it was how it felt!

“…How…” he whispered, fingers scratching gently at her fur. He felt choked up, all of the sudden.

“It’s not important,” she brushed off quietly, “I wanted to see you… I’ve missed you so much, little cub.”

And with those words her voice became heavy with grief. Lance could almost feel it himself… or maybe he was feeling it himself. It was hard to tell with the Lions.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Lance whispered, voice quivering. And just like that, all of the pain he’d ever felt regarding this lion came crashing down on them both like a tsunami. From his initial fears that he’d never be good enough when she first chose him, to the horror and heartbreak of being proven right when she shut him out—

“No, cub,” she whispered mournfully. And despite everything, his lips twitched into a smile. Of course she could hear his thoughts. “I had to. I _had _to. Red _chose _you. I didn’t want to give you up, especially without saying goodbye. But I knew if I let you anywhere near me… I’d never let you go. I’m so sorry, cub. I know it hurt you and I never wanted that… But it was time for you move on…”

Lance was struggling under the barrage of emotions pouring from the lion. It was hard to be mad at her. He hadn’t managed it back then, and he certainly couldn’t now. Not with how sad and guilty she felt.

He hugged her. He wrapped both of his arms around her head and _squeezed,_ nuzzling her face. She sighed deeply.

“No lion knows how to give up her Paladins quite like I do,” she grumbled with so much bitterness it took Lance’s breath away. He blinked, eyes stinging.

“Allura,” he breathed.

“Allura,” Blue practically keened, “And _Blaytz, _and _you_, my cub…”

She broke off, shifting to rub her cheek against his. Her breath was cool and heavy on his neck.

He wondered if lions could cry.

“Blue… I think I can speak for Allura and Blaytz here… none of us blame you,” he said gently, stroking her fur.

She pulled away from him, sitting back so she could look him in the eye.

“You should,” she said miserably.

“Blue…” Lance’s heart sank.

“You should,” she repeated with a sob, “I could have saved Allura at least.”

That made Lance pause. Blue’s golden eyes were boring holes into the ground, and her tail lashed angrily.

“I could have taken her place, I almost did! But… the idea of leaving the universe without Voltron frightened me, and I hesitated. I _hesitated _and I missed my chance, and now she’s _gone_.”

He swallowed hard as he watched tears run down her nose, splashing onto her paws.

“Lance. I’m _sorry_,” she gasped.

Lance shook his head and flung his arms around her neck; he couldn’t stand this anymore.

“I meant what I said,” he whispered fiercely, “I don’t blame you. And I doubt the others do either.”

Blue didn’t respond.

“Listen, Blue: Allura made a choice, okay? Who knows if it was the right one? Maybe there was another way, maybe there wasn’t. But it doesn’t _matter_, Blue, because _this_ is what happened. She made her choice, now she’s gone, and the rest of us are all here because of it. And there was nothing we could have done about it. Trust me, all those ‘what if’s’ will just drive you insane.”

Blue still didn’t respond, not at first. But after a moment Lance felt a paw on his back, and he yelped as he was squished tighter into a furry hug.

“Thank you, cub,” she whispered, forelegs wrapped around him, “Allura was right: You give excellent pep talks.”

Lance half-laughed, half-sobbed at that. 

“I tried to find her, you know,” Blue sighed, not letting him go yet, “I flew off into the stars… the others followed me; they’d never let me go on a quest like that alone. I knew I wouldn’t find her. They all knew it too. But I guess they also knew I needed to find out for myself.”

Lance didn’t have a lot to say to that. If he could fly endlessly to the edges of the universe, he’d have likely done the same thing.

“I am here now because I did not find her,” Blue said, finally releasing him, “Obviously…”

She paused as she sat back on her haunches, golden eyes staring at some point in the distance. Lance settled beside her, one hand on her shoulder. They sat like that for a moment, watching the flowers wave gently in the breeze.

“The last time you and I saw each other,” Blue began, “you were standing below me, with your fellow Paladin’s surrounding you and I felt I was being swallowed by some strange emotion, seeing you all standing before me much the same way you had on the day we met.”

Lance swallowed, smiling sadly.

“You all looked so different,” Blue sighed, “So changed by the war… and it struck me that it was my fault you were in that war to begin with. The day I first saw the five of you, I was blown away by how perfect the whole situation was. Each of you matched up to the five of us so well, it was almost disturbing. The universe certainly works in mysterious ways…”

Lance paused. He’d never really thought about it, but yeah, that was weird. Five people on the same planet being the first ones to pilot the Lions in ten thousand years? Quite a coincidence.

“You know,” Blue said with a smirk, “I actually got a _compliment_ from the Black Lion the day I brought you all to Arus.”

Lance barked out a laugh at that.

“It’s true! I found five new Paladins and woke up the princess _and_ the other Lion’s from their ten-thousand-year long sleep! Black awoke that day to everything being fixed and ready to go. She didn’t even have to go get her own Paladin! He was standing right there when she opened her eyes!”

Blue laughed.

“She said ‘Good work, Blue’, which is her version of jumping up and down and doing cartwheels.”

Lance laughed with her that time.

As the laughter died down, he felt her become more serious once again.

“I just wanted to give you a proper goodbye this time,” Blue said, leaning her head on his. “When I was out there looking for Allura… I realized something. Everything is going to be alright.”

She purred.

“And we will all get to see each other again someday.”

Lance blinked rapidly.

“So, this is goodbye for real this time,” he said sadly. He had always held on to some small (admittedly foolish) hope that the Lions might come back someday.

He knew they wouldn’t.

But he’d hoped.

“For now,” Blue corrected.

“Yeah… for now,” Lance responded quietly.

He paused.

“Are… any of the other Lions here?” he asked, almost shyly.

“Here, on this Plane? No,” Blue said with a knowing smile, “But they are all nearby on their own Planes.”

“Yeah?” Lance asked, a little nervously. He opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then shifted uncomfortably. It was so strange and unlike him that Blue couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes, cub!” she snorted, rolling her eyes, “A certain Red Lion _is_ waiting for you. Very impatiently, I might add.”

Lance gave her a shaky smile, looking relieved, but nervous still.

Blue narrowed her eyes. “I mean it cub. She wants to talk to you very badly.”

“Okay,” Lance breathed.

Blue smiled and reached around to wrap Lance in one last hug.

“Until we meet again, Beautiful,” Blue purred.

Lance almost choked.

“Yeah. Goodbye for now, Blue.”

Then she vanished. Lance felt her fade away, slipping through his fingers like snow in the wind.

And he was left alone in the sudden blackness that followed.

But he wasn’t afraid.

He could still hear her purring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have lots of feelings, okay? 
> 
> When I watched Voltron for the first time, I knew very little about it. As I was watching the first episode, I had a pretty neutral opinion of it and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. Then Keith mentioned the Blue Lion and showed those cave drawings of her running with the buffalo and it immediately got my full attention. Then I realized each person was going to get a lion of their own that they had a psychic bond with and I was like "this is a part of my soul now". Seriously. I love that shit. And I have spawned so many disconnected head cannons since then lol.


	2. I'll Be Running Back to Find You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red does everything intensely, and she has no patience whatsoever.

Keith knew he was on the Astral Plane, but he had no idea why it was so dark. He couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face. He looked around a little desperately, trying to find any source of light…

There! To his right! A flame flickered in the distance. With no other options making themselves known, he approached it.

As he got closer, he noticed two things:

First, the light appeared to be a campfire.

Second, and arguably more important, there was a massive lion lying next to the flame.

Keith froze when the poor lighting brought the creature into view. The lioness had her back to him, and the light and the shadows made it hard to tell for sure, but it looked as if she had red fur…

Her head turned to face him, gold eyes burning as they met his.

A lump formed in his throat.

He knew her.

But it had been so long…

He walked over and sat behind her, unsure of what a ‘respectable distance’ was in this situation.

He reached a hand out slowly as she watched him from the corner of her eye. When she didn’t try to remove said hand from his body, he laid it on her back.

Her fur was warm, almost too warm, to the touch. She looked over her shoulder and blinked slowly at him.

It was silent, except for the crackling flames.

“Hello, cub,” the lion said shortly.

“Hello, Red,” Keith replied, just as short.

He felt her laugh vibrate under his hand.

“…I’ve missed you,” he said simply.

Red didn’t answer for a moment, she just sat in silence with Keith as ran his hand down her back.

When she finally did speak, it took Keith off guard.

“My heart broke when Black chose you,” she said evenly, not looking at him, “I just wanted you to know that. And I never would have done it had we not all been grieving Shiro.”

Keith felt a lump in his throat.

“It’s okay, I understand. No one wanted me to lead. Not you, not Black, and certainly not me.”

“Shiro did.”

Keith didn’t have anything to say to that.

“And… I did. I only choose Paladins that have the potential to one day lead Voltron. My Paladins are second in command and must be capable of so much more than they tend to believe they are. I did not want you to leave me, but I did want you to lead, cub. Do you not trust me?”

Keith scoffed, almost insulted. “Of course I trust you.”

“Then banish these thoughts and fears that you’re not good enough. I would not have wasted my time on you if you weren’t,” she growled, tail twitching at her side.

Warmth spread through his chest. Keith _missed _this. Yes, Red could be harsh, and her pep talks were blunt, but he found it strangely comforting. He knew she would never bullshit him at least.

“Why is it so dark here?” Keith asked.

Surely the Red Lion knew he was trying to change the subject. She didn’t seem to mind much, if that was the case.

“Because I said so,” she answered, “I find few things are quite as relaxing as being in a place that’s dark and warm.”

She stretched out by the fire, claws kneading at the air like a cat. “And I love the sound of a crackling campfire,” she added with a purr.

Keith smiled. She was strangely adorable.

“How is there even wood here?” he drawled, knowing the pointless question would irritate her, “Aren’t we on the Astral Plane?”

“Simple: Because I said so. I thought I made that quite clear,” she said impatiently, glaring at him.

He laughed softly, and she realized he was just pulling her tail. Okay then…

She huffed and rolled over in flash, knocking him on his back and pinning him with her the front legs splayed across his chest.

“Red, no,” he groaned, kicking futilely at her side.

She ignored him.

“Red I can’t breathe!”

“We’re on the Astral Plane, your soul doesn’t need to breathe,” she deadpanned back, “You’re just doing it out of habit.”

He huffed and gave up, pouting.

She laughed and started to let him up, but not before pausing to lick him from his chin to the top of his head.

“RED!” he practically wailed as he frantically rubbed his face on his shirt, “What the _hell_?”

Red only laughed harder. She leaped to the side as Keith charged at her. He was quick, but not as quick as she was!

She darted away and Keith followed, their light source waning with distance. Red brightened her quintessence, allowing her fur to glow like embers.

She watched Keith pause for a second, eyes wide with wonder. The light reflecting off of her bathed him in red as well.

She crouched, and Keith snapped out of it. He shot after her, resuming the chase.

And that was how they spent the next, oh, twenty minutes or so, chasing each other round like a couple of rambunctious cubs. Eventually, Red got tired of it and opted instead to turn and tackle him to the floor once again.

He huffed, but otherwise relented.

“Out of curiosity,” Red began with a flick of her ear, “what were you going to do if you caught me?”

“Dunno,” Keith huffed again, trying to catch his breath, “Didn’t think that far ahead.”

Red chuckled. “Do you ever think that far ahead?”

“Why are you asking questions you already know the answers to?” he shot back.

She rolled her eyes and smothered his whole face with her paw, ignoring him as he wriggled around beneath her.

“When I want your sass, I’ll ask for it, cub,” she growled with no real heat behind it.

Eventually, she let Keith squirm away. He sat back, grinning.

“I really have missed you. I’ve missed _this. _Black doesn’t mess around much,” he said as she laid next to him.

“Black is far too old for all of that nonsense, Keith,” Red laughed.

“Really? I never got the impression she was any older than the rest of you,” Keith said, surprised at the thought.

“Much older,” Red confirmed, “But you can talk her about that yourself. She’s patiently waiting on us to finish.”

Keith blinked up at her. “Really?”

Her tail twitched. “No, I’m just making it up, Keith-”

“Alright, alright! Don’t bite my head off! I’m just surprised to hear she wants to see me, that’s all,” he said with a frown.

“Again with this? You are her Paladin. Of course she wants to see you.” Red rolled her eyes.

“I guess I should go then…” Keith began.

“…Yeah, I guess you should,” Red sighed, “It was good to see you again, cub, if only for a moment.”

Keith patted her on the nose. “It was amazing to get talk to you, and I mean _really _talk to you, Red.”

His heart felt like lead.

“I guess this is goodbye, for real, this time,” he said, almost choking on the words, “I won’t see you again after this, will I?”

“Of course you will,” Red scoffed. Keith’s heart lifted. Red locked eyes with him, then she got to her feet and walked around to the other side of the fire. The glow of the flames made her look as if she were made of fire herself. Though, she may very well be, what did Keith know?

“All things must come to an end, cub. One day we will all leave this realm behind and move on to some place better. When my day comes, I hope to find you waiting there for me.”

Keith really didn’t want to cry right now, but she was making it difficult.

“I’ll be there,” he said, swallowing hard, “With Lance and Alfor, too.”

Her eyes widened, then her gaze softened.

“I’d like that,” she breathed.

“Yeah… well: Until then, Red,”

“Until then, Keith.”

The flames flickered, then went out completely. Leaving him alone in the black.

***

“I’m surprised you came to visit me,” Lance admitted sadly.

Lance had found her much the same way Keith had. He seemed a little less confused, so it was likely Blue had already spoken to him. He had approached her nervously for some reason, and he seemed tense when he sat next to her by the fire. They’d been sitting in silence for a while, and _that _was the first thing he said?

Red had some suspicion as to why he was acting this way, and she didn’t like it one bit.

“What do you mean?” Red growled, “You’re my Paladin, yes?”

“Yeah, but I know you were closer to Keith, and I know you only chose me because you had to…”

“Oh, you _know_ that, do you?” There was a dangerous edge to Red's voice, but Lance didn’t seem to notice.

Red felt irritation flare up in her chest. Lance was maintaining his distance from her and he had yet to so much as look at her, much less than touch her. Her tail was lashing furiously now, and her ears were flat against her skull.

“Yeah, I mean, let’s face it: In any other situation, you wouldn’t have chosen _me_. I was basically your only option, right?”

Lance barely got the last word out when Red leaped to her feet with an ear shattering snarl.

He scrambled back as she stalked angrily toward him. He all but coward at her feet as she loomed over him, fangs glistening and eyes _burning_. Her hackles raised as she growled deep in her chest.

Lance froze, heart hammering, wondering what in the world he did to piss her off so much. He couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Look at me.”

He did not.

“Lance!”

With some effort he forced himself to look her in the eye. He winced at the fire burning in her gaze.

“Let me make something _very_ clear to you, cub,” she growled, voice low and almost sinister.

Her lip curled into an even larger snarl.

“I. Do. Not. _Settle._”

She practically spat that last word at him as he blinked up at her in confusion.

“Do you honestly think,” she continued, tail lashing, “That I would wait _ten thousand years_ for Keith—ten _THOUSAND _years! —just to replace him with someone I didn’t think was worthy? Do you really think that after forging such a strong bond, I would follow that up by simply picking the first Paladin that waltzed my way? Don’t be _stupid_, Lance. I know you’re not _stupid._”

Lance didn’t know what to say. Red hissed and stalked away from him, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. Lance’s chest tightened. She looked… distressed.

“You were _not_ my only option,” she spat as she continued to pace, “I actually wanted Allura very badly—she’s Alfor’s daughter, after all, and I love her—but something wasn’t right. She wasn’t ready yet, and I didn’t think she’d make a good right hand to Keith at the time. I even briefly considered Pidge; I like her spitfire personality. I was afraid Green would shred me into scrap metal though, so I kept _that_ thought to myself… My point is: You were not my ‘only option’.”

She’d stopped pacing, and was now standing in front of Lance, eyes meeting his once more.

“But you _are_ the one I chose.” Her voice sounded hoarse. “You’re brave and funny and you put everyone before yourself. You’re a quick thinker and an excellent sharpshooter. You support your leader and you never hesitate to lift your teammates up and guide them when they need it, _exactly _as a right-hand man should! You’re my Paladin, Lance. You’re just going to have to accept that; I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Lance just blinked at her, stunned. Red walked over and buried her face into his shoulder. A hug. Jesus Christ, the Red Lion wanted a hug. Lance wrapped his arms around her neck and nuzzled his face into her fur. He still hadn’t managed to get up off the floor.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, “I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

Red grumbled.

“I just can’t believe,” she said, still hugging him, “That we flew together for all that time and you thought I only tolerated you. That I was just with you out of some sense of duty. Lance, do you have any idea how stubborn I am? If there hadn’t been a single person in the universe that I felt was right, then I would have sat my ass in that castle for another ten thousand years, war be damned.”

Lance croaked out a laugh; he was trying very hard not to cry into her fur right now.

She started to purr. “I_ love _you, you idiot.”

Lance laughed, “Thanks Red. Love you too.”

She hummed happily.

“Now,” she said, sitting up straight right in front of him, “stand up!”

He scrambled to his feet and stood before her, eyes level with hers.

“Now say it.”

He looked at her, confused.

Her eyes flashed and she growled. “What are you?”

“Oh!” he gasped, realizing what she was going for, “I’m… I’m the Red Paladin.”

“Always and forever,” she confirmed with a nod, “you are my Paladin. And you’re just going to have to get over it.”

Lance _laughed. _

“Yes ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't fool me Red, I know you're secretly a softie... in your own unique way. 
> 
> With how down on himself Lance seemed to get, I always wondered if he felt like he wasn't a 'real' Red Paladin. I imagine Red would kick his ass for even thinking it though, lol.

**Author's Note:**

> I have lots of feelings, okay? 
> 
> When I watched Voltron for the first time, I knew very little about it. As I was watching the first episode, I had a pretty neutral opinion of it and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. Then Keith mentioned the Blue Lion and showed those cave drawings of her running with the buffalo and it immediately got my full attention. Then I realized each person was going to get a lion of their own that they had a psychic bond with and I was like "this is a part of my soul now". Seriously. I love that shit. And I have spawned so many disconnected head cannons since then lol.


End file.
